You Captured By Me

Chapter 18

Jennie walked inside the living room of her parents' house as quietly as she could. It was the first time she was setting foot here again after packing her things and leaving a month ago. She remembered feeling the rush of liberty the first time she slept alone at her own condo unit, despite the heartbreaking reason why she left home in the first place. She
remembered feeling so independent. But now, as she found her way towards her old bedroom where she spent her childhood years, she felt all the years of her youth coming back. Family always has a way of making you feel like you've never grown up at all, she realized as she tiptoed across
the threshold bridging the dining
room and the outdoor garden. That
was when she caught the middle
of the conversation between her
parents.

"Are you really not going to forgive me, Amalia?" her father pleaded in a broken voice.

"It's not easy to start all over again, Henry" her mother replied.

"I will wait even if how long it will take. I'll ask for your forgiveness every single day, if you want."

"I don't know. I'm really trying to forget everything but-" her mother
finally succumbed to tears.

Apparently, what she witnessed the
other day with Lisa was her father
breaking off the affair once and for
all with the woman. But hearing the way her mother's voice trembles now made Jennie think that it's probably too late now for them to have another chance. The damage has been done.

Lisa, what if someday you'll get tired of loving me?

Jennie felt her own tears falling and
wiped it with the back of her hand.
She refused to have her heart broken any further and stopped listening then finally walked to her childhood room. Her parents have kept it exactly the same as she left all of it- the posters on the wall, the books on her shelf that she wasn't able to bring, the remaining clothes and shoes and stuffed toys she left behind. Suddenly feeling very tired, she jumped into her bed to lay down and reflect. It's been two days since she said yes to a relationship with Lisa and even if they weren't each other's firsts, something
about the way they understood and
accepted one another made them
certain that no one else had ever
come this close, this intimate to their hearts.

She pulled out her cellphone from the pocket of her jeans as she reached for her old ragged teddy bear that she always used to hug at night during high school. She took a photo of herself hugging the teddy bear and then uploaded it on facebook and tagged Lisa with the caption, "Will you be my new teddy bear?"

I don't care if it's virtual public
display of affection. I'll flirt my
girlfriend however I want. No one can stop me, she reasoned.

About five minutes later, she got a
facebook notification.

Lisa had posted a picture of herself
hugging her own childhood pillow
a very purple and massive Barney
stuffed toy. She tagged Jennie and
captioned it: "I love you, You love
me, let's go make a family"

And almost immediately, her friends soon commented. Jennie recognized their profile pictures as the two girls she met at the Hospital.

Kim Jisoo: MANOBAN
YOU MOTHERFUCKER I AM
UNFRIENDING YOU AND REPORTING YOU AND BLOCKING YOU FOREVER STOP POLLUTING MY TIMELINE WITH YOUR RAGING HORMONES

Dr. Wendy Son: what a flirt

On reflex, Jennie's fingers typed on
her keypad, in defense of Lisa.

Jennie Kim: Please stop
harassing my girlfriend.

Lisa liked her comment and replied.

Lisa Manoban: MY GIRLFRIEND > EVERYTHING

Dr. Wendy Son: I knew it.
You don't need us anymore because you already have a lover? Let's go Jisoo. Manoban we will not forget
this betrayal bye

Dr. Wendy Son: no but seriously, congrats. Hi Jennie, we're just
fooling around. Good luck being the recipient of Lisa's legendary long-suppressed flirtiness.

Kim Jisoo: Hi Jennie
Lisa's already downloaded your picture and made it her wallpaper. My goodness! you're girlfriend is such a kid.

Jennie giggled until her laughter
resonated around the walls of her
bedroom, until it finally drifted to the rest of the house. Her parents hurried upstairs and they came to find her lying on her bed, still recovering from her giggles.

"I didn't know you're here, Jennie." her mom muttered, standing awkwardly beside her father at the door of her bedroom.

"I just arrived, Mom, Dad"

"What happened, sweetheart? I heard you laughing." Her father tried to sound casual.

Jennie's heart clenched because she
realized just how much she missed
the sound of her parents laughing
together. When was the last time
they've ever been happy?

"Love, Daddy. Love is a funny thing.
Do you still remember when you were a bit younger? It's a wonderful feeling, right? Being young and being in love" She bravely answered, a bittersweet
smile on her face.

Her parents stood absolutely still as
she rose from her bed and hugged
them.

"I miss being a kid. being your child. I miss us, Mom, Dad," she confessed to them,.fighting back her tears.

"Jennie, you know you're always
welcome here at home," her mother tearfully caressed Jennie's face.

"Mom, Dad, I've found a new home of my own. And her name is Lisa."